Almighty God, help us in these days and weeks of our
deliberations to maintain a spirit of dignity, a sense of humor and an attitude
of trust. Help us to accomplish those things collectively that we cannot
accomplish individually, and help us to graciously accept those things
individually on which we cannot agree collectively. Grant us Your holy blessing
now and always.

Amen.

Pledge of allegiance to the Flag.

Senator Raggio moved that further reading of
the Journal be dispensed with, and the President and Secretary be authorized to
make the necessary corrections and additions.

Motion carried.

REPORTS
OF COMMITTEES

Madam
President:

Your
Committee on Government Affairs, to which was referred Senate Concurrent
Resolution No. 10, has had the same under consideration, and begs leave to
report the same back with the recommendation: Be adopted.

Ann O'Connell, Chairman

MESSAGES
FROM THE ASSEMBLY

Assembly
Chamber, Carson
City, February 27, 2001

To the
Honorable the Senate:

I
have the honor to inform your honorable body that the Assembly on this day
adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 13.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 14—Commending Michele and John
Laws for their work as advocates for abused and neglected children.

Whereas,
The tragedy of child abuse and neglect is a worldwide problem of monumental
proportions, with statistics showing that there are nearly 1 million reported
incidents every year in our country alone; and

Whereas,
Because an abused or neglected child was too often a voice unheard and a face
unseen in our over-burdened court system, Congress passed the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act in 1974, mandating the appointment of a guardian
ad litem to serve as an advocate for victims in cases of child abuse and
neglect; and

Whereas,
In his search for such advocates to assist him in making more informed
decisions, Judge David W. Soukup of Seattle, Washington, started a program in
1977 to recruit volunteers from the community to serve in the role of advocate;
and

Whereas,
Judge Soukup’s program developed into a nationwide association known as the
National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association, commonly called CASA;
and

Whereas,
Michele and John Laws, a husband-and-wife team, are two loving, caring people
who have dedicated themselves to rescuing abused and neglected children in
Clark County through their support of the CASA program and the nurturing of
foster children; and

Whereas,
Michele, who became a CASA volunteer more than 10 years ago, after qualifying
through background checks and participation in the 40 hours of required
training, soon had both herself and her willing accomplice John enrolled in the
classes requisite for becoming foster parents; and

Whereas,
In her role as a CASA volunteer, Michele is assigned to one or two cases
involving child abuse or neglect at a time and commits herself to serve a
minimum of 2 years on each case; and

Whereas,
As the advocate for a child, Michele’s responsibilities include conducting
thorough research on the case, spending time with the child regularly, writing
assessments, and appearing in court to speak on behalf of the child and his
best interests; and

Whereas,
Although Michele and John graciously give of their time, their lifework can
extract an emotional toll that is overwhelming when they are involved with
children who have broken bones or retarded development and with children who
horde food fearing that it might be taken from them or who sleep under their
beds to feel safe; and

Whereas,
The strain is intensified by knowing that “wonderful, flowery endings aren’t
going to happen,” and Michele says that fact is probably the hardest thing she
and John have to deal with; and

Whereas,
Michele’s CASA Volunteer Coordinator, Betsey Sheldon, describes Michele as a
person of vision and empathy who is “the most committed foster parent I know”
and who “does not believe children are disposable, and does not throw them
away”; and

Whereas,
Betsey emphasizes that John is also an excellent foster parent and provides
support for his family with good judgment and integrity as a “a full partner in
this venture”; and

Whereas,
Michele and John Laws were awarded the 1997 Judges Award for Foster Parents of
the Year in Clark County because they have devoted themselves to cherishing
children and sustaining those who, through no fault of their own, must overcome
the scars of abuse and neglect; and

Whereas,
Our society as a whole, and we as individuals, owe a debt of gratitude that can
never be fully paid to Michele and John for the unselfish pledge they have made
to keep children safe and to support them with the love and protection they
need for the hope of a better tomorrow; and

Whereas,
The dedication of this team is an inspiration to every child who comes into
contact with them because their actions send the message “We will always be
there for you”; now, therefore, be it

Resolved
by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly Concurring, That the
members of the 71st session of the Nevada Legislature commend Michele and John
Laws for their loving care and heartfelt commitment to children who need
someone to be there for them; and be it further

Resolved, That this Legislature recognizes the hope for a brighter
tomorrow that is embodied in this couple; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the
Senate prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to Michele and John Laws.

Senator Porter moved the adoption of the resolution.

Remarks by Senator Porter.

Senator Porter
requested that his remarks be entered in the Journal.

Thank you, Madam
President. Imagine for a moment you are a 10-year-old child standing in these
Chambers, and you are approached by a stranger who says, “You are leaving with
us, and you are going to a new home.” Imagine as a 10-year-old child, you do
not have a chance to take your pet with you; nor do you have the opportunity to
take what few toys you have with you. Imagine you must get into an automobile
with strangers, and you are moved to another home.

This is an example of what happens every day across America, here
at home in Nevada and in Clark County. These are children who come from broken
homes, who are possibly abused or neglected. These are children who do not have
heroes. These are children without a traditional family setting who do not have
someone looking after them every day.

As mentioned in the resolution, some of these children must hoard
food to be certain they have a meal for fear that someone will take their food.
They may be hiding under a bed to make certain they feel safe. We are fortunate
that in Nevada, in 1980, the CASA Foundation was created to begin to address
those children’s needs and fears. The CASA Foundation is a court appointed
special advocate to take care of these children who do not have their own able
parents or heroes. Currently, the CASA Foundation has 225 volunteers in Clark
County who help these children. There are approximately 700 abused and
neglected children in the CASA Foundation system with an additional 1,300
children in the State and county system being overseen by the government.

What does a CASA volunteer do? A volunteer must have nearly 40
hours of education before becoming a CASA volunteer. These selfless individuals
watch and research close to 700 children as they enter the court system. They
appear in court as legal advocates for the child. They may be the only person
there to speak on behalf of the child, but they are a vital and life-saving
special advocate for children across this country and here at home. Their sole
mission is to be a voice for children in the court cases of abuse, neglect and
domestic dispute. Many of these volunteers are here today. These are volunteers
who do not brag and do not look for headlines. They do not look for
resolutions.

Today, we have a family who is unable to be with us. From
southern Nevada, the Laws family, John and Michele, are being recognized by
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 14. John and Michele have been advocates for
children for over 10 years. Not only John and Michele but their own older
children have also helped tend to the needs of the children placed in the Laws’
care along with their own families. They have been foster parents, but more
importantly, they have adopted four children to add to their own family.

The Laws family provides an opportunity for children who would
not have a strong chance for a happy ending. This is the challenge for the CASA
volunteers who are dealing every day with members of families who have little
chance for a happy, normal upbringing. They also provide shelter for grown
children. A number of the children who have been in the CASA program now have
their own children. The Laws have opened their home to these grown CASA
children and their children.

John and Michele Laws, though they could not be with us today,
truly exemplify dedication to children, dedication to a better tomorrow. They
represent those children who do not have lobbyists, do not have budgets and do
not have those things we deal with here every day as Legislators. I am honored
to present this resolution. I would appreciate the support of this body for the
Laws and all the CASA volunteers across the State of Nevada. Thank you.

Resolution adopted.

Senator Porter moved that all rules be
suspended and that Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 14 be immediately
transmitted to the Assembly.

Motion carried unanimously.

INTRODUCTION, FIRST READING
AND REFERENCE

By the Committee on Transportation:

Senate Bill No. 260—AN ACT relating to drivers’ licenses;
requiring the photograph and any information included on the face of a driver’s
license or identification card to be placed in a certain manner on the license
or card; revising the provisions governing the use of colors on a driver’s
license issued to an insulin dependent diabetic or an epileptic; and providing
other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator O'Donnell moved that the bill be referred to the
Committee on Transportation.

Motion carried.

By Senator Schneider:

Senate Bill No. 261—AN ACT relating to time shares; limiting the
applicability of provisions governing common-interest communities to the sale
or transfer of time shares; requiring a manager of a time-share plan or a
project, or both, to register with the real estate division of the department
of business and industry; eliminating the requirement that a representative of
a developer register with the division; revising the requirements for a
time-share instrument; eliminating the requirement that an advertisement for a
time share or an offer of sale be approved by the division; providing a
penalty; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Schneider moved that the bill be referred to the
Committee on Judiciary.

Senator Porter moved that the bill be referred to the Committee
on Judiciary.

Motion carried.

By the Committee on Judiciary:

Senate Bill No. 263—AN ACT relating to sentencing; authorizing a
court to sentence a person convicted of a misdemeanor to make a donation of
money to a charitable or educational organization under certain circumstances;
and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator James moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on
Judiciary.

Senate Bill No. 264—AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; providing
for the issuance of special license plates for the support of the preservation
of the history of atomic testing in Nevada through support for the programs and
activities of the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation or its successor;
imposing a fee for the issuance or renewal of such license plates; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.

Senator Titus moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on
Transportation.

Motion carried.

SECOND READING AND AMENDMENT

Senate Bill No. 6.

Bill read second time.

The following amendment was proposed by the Committee on Commerce
and Labor:

Amend the title of the bill by deleting the second line and
inserting: “insure improvements to real property for more than their
replacement value as a”.

Senator Townsend moved the adoption of the amendment.

Remarks by Senator Townsend.

Amendment adopted.

Bill ordered reprinted, engrossed and to
third reading.

Senate Bill No. 45.

Bill read second time and ordered to third
reading.

Senate Bill No. 50.

Bill read second time and ordered to third
reading.

Senate Bill No. 52.

Bill read second time and ordered to third
reading.

MOTIONS,
RESOLUTIONS AND NOTICES

Senator James moved that Senate Bill No. 19 be taken from the
General File and placed on the General File for the next legislative day.

Remarks by Senator James.

Motion carried.

GENERAL FILE AND THIRD
READING

Senate Bill No. 38.

Bill read third time.

Conflict of
interest declared by Senators Mathews and Raggio.

Roll call on Senate Bill No. 38:

Yeas—18.

Nays—Carlton.

Not Voting—Raggio, Mathews—2.

Senate Bill No. 38 having received a constitutional majority,
Madam President declared it passed.

Bill ordered transmitted to the Assembly.

REMARKS
FROM THE FLOOR

Senator Neal
requested that his remarks be entered in the Journal.

Madam President, this is the last day of February, and the last
day of Black History Month. Normally, we have introduced a resolution to
commemorate this month and the contributions black people have made in this
country.

On Sunday, as I was returning from Las Vegas, I stopped in
Hawthorne to pick up a copy of the Reno Gazette-Journal. In the
newspaper, there was a very significant article dealing with Black History. The
article referred to a woman named Molly Welsh.
She was not black, but as the story goes, she was a milkmaid in England.
This was during the time of the indentured servant. She spilled the milk and
was sentenced to deportation to America. She arrived in Maryland as an
indentured servant, but eventually, paid off her debt and bought land in the
countryside. She returned to the coast and purchased two slaves. One, she
married. His name was Bennaky later changed to Banneker. From their union came
a daughter. By the Maryland Act of 1681, children born to a white and negro
were considered free. When she grew up, she married another of their slaves and
produced a son named Benjamin Banneker.

During the Jefferson era, Benjamin Banneker was noted as a great
mathematician. He worked with a Frenchman to design the layout of Washington,
D.C., who later became angered by some of the demands being made upon him and
took his plans back to France. Thomas Jefferson asked Benjamin Banneker to
reconstruct the layout of the design of Washington, D.C. It was Benjamin
Banneker who drew the plans for Washington, D.C. from memory.

I wanted to point this out because it is significant that the Reno
Gazette-Journal pointed out the progenity of Banneker by Molly Welsh and
how she came to this country. It also points out the fact that we had a number
of white women and white men involved in the liberation of Blacks.

Senator Titus will recall a woman by the name of Victoria
Woodhull who was the first woman to run for President of the United States. The
significance of her running was that she had as her Vice-President in 1872, a
gentleman named Frederick Douglass. She ran on the Equal Rights Party ticket.
Equal rights are not something we just discovered in the 20th Century.

There was also another woman named Sister Catherine. She came
from Connecticut. She established many schools across the nation for Blacks and
Indians. When she was in Beaumont, Texas opening a school, the Ku Klux Klan
decided to protest. Lightning struck the Grand Wizard. That taught them a
lesson not to mess with Sister Catherine.

I wanted to point out some of these items since this is the last
day of Black History Month. Today, I hope we will adjourn in commemoration of
Black History Month. Thank you.

GUESTS
EXTENDED PRIVILEGE OF SENATE FLOOR

On request of Senator Amodei, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Ann Sinnott, Eddie Barrington,
Nisha Verma and Ray Masayko.

On request of Senator Care, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Brooke Bearinger.

On request of Senator Jacobsen, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Samantha Goldstein and Josh Allen.

On request of Senator Mathews, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Bret Meich.

On request of Senator McGinness, the privilege of the floor of
the Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Heidi Riggins, Gail Trujillo
and Kathy Trujillo.

On request of Senator O'Donnell, the privilege of the floor of
the Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Johnell Cropper.

On request of Senator Raggio, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Stephen Gingold, John Munly and Bob
Ravera.

On request of Senator Rawson, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Krisana Jaritsat.

On request of Senator Rhoads, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Brett Boge.

On request of Senator Schneider, the privilege of the floor of
the Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Bo Mee Chu.

On request of Senator Titus, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Andrew Novera.

On request of Senator Wiener, the privilege of the floor of the
Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Karie Lawson.

Senator Raggio moved that the Senate adjourn
until Thursday, March 1, 2001 at 11 a.m. and that it do so in commemoration of
Black History Month as requested by Senator Neal.